Reclosable carton construction

ABSTRACT

A RECLOSABLE CARTION CONSTRUCTION WHEREIN AN AUXILIARY BLANK IS SECURED TO AND REINFORCES AN UPPER CORNER CONSTRUCTION OF THE CARTION FORMED FROM A MAIN BLANK. AN END PANEL OF THE MAIN BLANK IS PROVIDED WITH A RUPTURABLE FLAP WHICH HAS A REMOVABLE PORTION SECURED TO THE AUXILIARY BLANK WITH THE LATTER PIVOTING ABOUT A PAIR OF SUPERPOSED HINGE LINES IN THE TOP PANELS OF THE MAIN BLANK. IN ONE FORM OF THE INVENTION THE RECLOSABLE CORNER CONSTRUCTION TEARS ALONG PARALLEL HINGE LINES BETWEEN THE TOP PANESL AND FRONT AND REAR PANELS OF THE MAIN BLANK WHEREAS IN A MODIFICATION THE TEAR LINES ARE LOCATED INWARDLY ALONG THE TOP PANELS SO AS TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF DUST FLAPS AFTER THE CARTION IS OPEN.

P 20, 1971 G. L. MEYERS 3,606,133

RECLOSABLE CARTON CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 22, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR GEORGE LEROY M EY ERS 72 BY QIMQ M ATTORNEY Sept. 20, 1971 e. LQMEYERS I 3,606,133

RECLOSABLE CARTON CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 22, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mull/ 71111,

ATTORNEY g INVENTOR es Q GEORGE LEROY MEYERS AS 5 66 is Sept 20, 1971 s. L. MEYERS RECLOSABLE CARTON CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 22, 1969 INVENT OR GEORGE LEROY M E YERS ATTORNEY 3,606,133 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 wi l? 3,606,133 RECLOSABLE CARTON CONSTRUCTION George LeRoy Meyers, Neenah, Wis., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y. Filed Sept. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 859,692 Int. Cl. B65d /54 US. Cl. 229--7R Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reclosable carton construction wherein an auxiliary blank is secured to and reinforces an upper corner construction of the carton formed from a main blank. An end panel of the main blank is provided with a rupturable flap which has a removable portion secured to the auxiliary blank with the latter pivoting about a pair of superposed hinge lines in the top panels of the main blank. In one form of the invention the reclosable corner construction tears along parallel hinge lines between the top panels and front and rear panels of the main blank whereas in a modification the tear lines are located inwardly along the top panels so as to provide a pair of dust flaps after the carton is open.

This invention relates to a reclosable carton construction and more particularly to such a construction wherein an auxiliary blank is secured to and reinforces a corner construction of the carton formed from a main blank.

Top loading, top opening cartons are in common use today for packaging such various products as soap powder, cereal, dog food and the like. A folding carton of the type generally includes suitable means such as lines of weakness for opening one end of the top panel for dispensing the carton contents. Generally the lines of weakness originate at the top portion of one side wall and extend into the top panel of the carton. By pushing inwardly and lifting, a portion of the carton top is opened for pouring contents from the carton. The carton when opened is permanently disfigured and no satisfactory means is provided for reclosing the carton.

Other carton constructions of this type provide means for opening and reclosing the carton opening. However, such cartons are susceptible to tearing of the opening zone so as to prevent effective reclosure of the carton.

The present invention provides an improved folding carton which overcomes the foregoing objections, by providing a carton having a durable corner construction which opens easily and which recloses effectively after each use. The carton according to the present invention includes a main carton blank and an auxiliary carton blank. The main blank folds up into a carton for receiving a product. The top panels of the main blank are folded and provided with suitable lines of weakness for opening a portion of the top panel. The auxiliary carton blank, when folded, fits over the openable top corner of the main carton. The auxiliary blank provides means for initiating the opening of the carton as well as means for providing effective reclosure of the carton.

In a preferred form of the invention, one of the end panels of the carton is provided with a flap that is folded backwardly and downwardly to overlie an upper portion of the end panel. The flap is provided with a lower portion which is severable from an upper portion thereof, and overlapping top panels are provided with superposed transversely extending crease lines which define a hinge in the top of the carton. An auxiliary blank has a first portion thereof secured to the uppermost top flap of the main carton and a second portion thereof attached to the lower portion of the severable flap. When the carton is opened the auxiliary blank and the reclosable portion of the main carton attached to it pivot about the superposed hinge lines of the main carton, thereby severing the rupturable flap attached to the end panel of the main carton.

In one form of the invention rupturable score lines are provided substantially coincident with the hinged securement of the top panels with their respective front and rear main panels whereas in another embodiment the rupturable score lines are spaced inwardly from the hinge lines of the top panels so as to be parallel thereto and thereby leave longitudinally extending dust flaps hinged to the front and rear main panels when the carton is opened.

The auxiliary blank is provided with depending skirt portions which overlie portions of the front and rear main panels adjacent the rupturable score line. The auxiliary blank is preferably adhesively secured to the main blank and is provided with flap extensions which underlie and are adhesively secured to depending skirt portions of the auxiliary blank, thereby providing greater rigidity for the reclosable portion of the carton.

The inherent advantages and improvements of the present invention will become more readily apparent upon considering the following detailed description of the invention and by reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an auxiliary blank made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 2 in erected form;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the blanks of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the blanks of FIGS. 1 and 2 in assembled relationship;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the position after opening the carton construction;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view showing a position after the carton construction is opened; and,

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified carton construction.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings there is illustrated a carton blank, indicated generally at 10. Carton blank 10 is provided with a main front panel 12, a main end panel 14, a main rear panel 16', and a second main end panel 18, all of which may be assembled in erected position with the aid of a conventional glue flap 20.

Main front 12 is provided with a top panel indicated generally at 22 which is hingedly secured to the main front panel 12 by means of crease line 24. Main front panel 12 is further provided with a conventional bottom panel 26. Main end panel 14 has an end flap construction, indicated generally at 28, which consists of a first portion 30 and a second portion 32 which is removable or severable therefrom in a manner to be discussed hereinafter. The main end panel 14 is provided with a conventional bottom flap 26a.

Main rear panel 16 has a top panel construction, indicated generally at 34, which is hingedly secured to the main rear panel by means of crease line 36. Main rear panel 16 is provided with a conventional bottom panel 26 similar to that provided for the front panel 12. The second main end panel 18 is provided with a conventional end flap 30 and a conventional bottom flap 26a.

Top panel 22 comprises a first portion 40* and a second portion 42 divided by means of a crease line 44. The latter also functions to define a portion of a hinge for the reclosable opening structure in a manner to be described hereinafter. The top panel 22 is further provided with a cut score line 46 from which extends a top flap 48. A rupturable score line 50 which facilitates easy access to the carton is substantially coincident with crease line 24.

In similar fashion, top panel 34 is shown to comprise a first portion 52 and a second portion 54 divided by a crease line 56. The latter cooperates with crease line 44 to form a hinge construction for the reclosable carton in a manner illustrated best in FIG. 8. Rupturable score line 58 which is torn concurrently with rupturable score line '50 as illustrated best in FIG. 7 is substantially coincident with crease line 36.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated an auxiliary blank indicated generally at 60. This blank construction has a central main portion 62 which is attached by means of adhesive to portion 54 of top panel 34. Auxiliary blank 60 further has a front flap, indicated generally at 64, which comprises a first portion 66 having an adhesive coating thereon and a second portion 68 which is devoid of an adhesive. The front fiap 64 is further provided with a pair of hingedly attached side flaps 70. The central main portion 62 of auxiliary blank 60 has a pair of lateral flaps 72 hingedly secured to it with each flap having adhesively coated portions 74. Side flaps 70 are attached to the adhesively coated portions 74 when the auxiliary blank is set up in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, a hinge line 76 separates the main end panel 14 from end flap 28 which consists of an upper portion 30 and a lower portion 32 when the end flap 28 is folded backwardly and downwardly to the position illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6. Lower portion 32 is made severable from upper portion 30 with the aid of a pair of angled cuts 78 and a straight line out 80. The latter constitute score line means for the carton which facilitate easy opening of the carton. The terminal portions of straight line cut 80 are spaced slightly above and extend laterally past the innermost extensions of the angled cuts 78 whereby the portion 32 is easily severable from the portion 30' of the end flap 28. A straight line cut 82 helps to define one edge of the portion 32 of end flap 28 and a straight line cut 84 defines the other edge of portion 32.

The auxiliary blank 60 is shown in exploded position in FIG. 4 with respect to the carton erected from carton blank 10. FIGS. and 6 reveal the assembled position of the auxiliary and main blanks wherein portion 54 of top panel 34 is adhesively secured to central main portion 62 and the removable portion 32 of end flap 28 is secured by adhesive 66 to front lap 64 of the auxiliary blank 60.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the position of the assembled carton blanks after the carton is opened is indicated. This is accomplished by the consumer who grasps the lower edge of the front flap 64 of the auxiliary blank 60 and pulls upwardly to sever the portion 32 from portion 30 of the end flap 28 by virtue of tearing at 86 between the angle cuts 78 and the straight line cut 80. In this manner, the auxiliary blank 60 and the reclosable portion of the main blank which extends forwardly from the superposed hinge lines 44 and 56 and which is between the hinge lines and the main end panel 14 are pivoted to the positions illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 to reveal the contents 88 of the carton. In pivoting in this manner, the score lines 50 and 58 are ruptured as illustrated. This leaves a portion 30 on the front of the main end panel 14 which, upon reclosure, frictionally engages the flap 48 carried beneath the auxiliary blank 60.

FIG. 9 shows a modification of the main carton construction wherein score lines 50a and 58a are spaced inwardly from the hinge lines of the overlapping top panels 22 and 34 so as to leave the dust flaps 90 between the top edge and the score lines 50a and 58a when the auxiliary blank is attached thereto as in the previous embodiment and opened to positions corresponding to those illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Accordingly, it will be seen that the reclosable carton construction of the present invention supplies a reinforced thickness to the carton at the corner in which the reclosable feature of the carton is positioned so that it will withstand the abuse that this portion of the carton normally receives. It is convenient to attach the auxiliary blank to the main carton by means of adhesive but clearly other means could be used if desired. The provision of a flap 48 on one of the top panels of the main carton construction provides a frictional fit with the remaining portion 30 of the end flap 28 so that the reclosed portion will remain in place by virtue of being tightly secured thereto.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the forms hereinbefore described merely being preferred embodiments thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A reclosable carton construction made from a first main blank and an auxiliary blank secured thereto, said first main blank comprising:

(a) serially and hingedly secured front, end and rear main panels,

(b) one of said end panels having a flap folded back- Wardly and downwardly to overlie an upper portion of said one end panel,

(1) said flap of said one end panel having a lower portion severable from an upper portion thereof,

(2) score line means on said flap of said one end panel operable to sever said lower portion from said upper portion when said carton is opened.

(c) said front and rear main panels having hingedly secured top panels which are folded into overlapping relationship,

(1) each of said overlapping top panels being provided with superposed transversely extending crease lines to define a hinge line,

(2) each of said overlapping top panels being provided with a. rupturable score line extending substantially from a respective crease line to said one end panel,

(d) said auxiliary blank having (1) a first portion secured to the uppermost one of said overlapping top panels between said superposed crease lines and said one end panel,

(2) and a second portion secured to the lower portion of said flap of said one end panel,

(3) said lower portion of said flap of said one end panel being severed from the upper portion thereof when said auxiliary blank and said top panels between said one end said crease lines are hinged about said crease lines to open said carton construction.

2. A reclosable carton construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said rupturable score lines are substantially coincident with the hinged securement of said top panels with their respective front and rear main panels.

3. A reclosable carton construction as defined in claim 2 wherein said auxiliary blank is further provided with depending skirt portions which overlie portions of said front and rear main panels adjacent said rupturable score lines.

4. A reclosable carton construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said rupturable score lines are spaced inwardly on said top panel so as to be parallel to the hinged securement of said top panels with their respective front and rear main panels thereby leaving longitudinally extending dust flaps when said carton is open.

5. A reclosable carton construction as defined in claim 4 wherein said auxiliary blank is further provided with depending skirt portions which overlie portions of said front and rear main panels adjacent said rupturable score lines.

6. A reclosable carton construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary blank is further provided with depending skirt portions which overlie portions of said front and rear main panels adjacent said rupturable score lines.

7. A reclosable carton construction as defined in claim 6 wherein said second portion of said auxiliary blank is provided with flap extensions which underlie and are adhesively secured to said depending skirt portions of said auxiliary blank.

8. A reclosable carton construction as defined in claim 6 wherein one of said top panels is provided 'with a flap extension which overlies and makes frictional engagement with the upper portion of said flap of said one end panel thereby facilitating reclosure of said carton construction.

9. A reclosable carton construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary blank is adhesively secured to the uppermost one of said overlapping top panels and to said lower portion of said flap of said one end panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,265,282 8/1966 Maxwell 229-7 3,346,165 10/1967 Koolins 229--17 3,426,956 2/1969 Frohlicher 229-17 LEONARD SUMMER, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 22951TC 

